While property prices in Zalaegerszeg were essentially stagnant in 2023, they rose by 17 percent until February 2024.Continue reading
Hungarian development policy is focused on catching up but lacks an answer to how potentially competitive regions can truly become competitive, said Tibor Navracsics, Minister of Public Administration and Regional Development, writes Index.
Minister Navracsics stressed that the development of the capital city would reach 156 percent of the European Union average by 2022, up from 129 percent in 2004, while regions outside Budapest would catch up at a much slower pace.
As an example, he said that south Transdanubia, central Hungary, and northern Hungary are catching up, while northern Transdanubia, which used to be a dynamic growth region, is now also showing signs of slowing down.
The Minister indicated that a large-scale regional development program for south Transdanubia would be launched, as this area has experienced the worst growth trend among Hungarian regions over the past 30 years.
“Attention must be paid to south Transdanubia, but we must not forget north Transdanubia, west Transdanubia, and central Transdanubia, because their performance is apparently remarkable, but they have been stagnating for years, with no dynamic growth in these areas,” Navracsics stressed.
Mr. Navracsics pointed out that labor migration is a daily problem in western Transdanubia.
“Both qualified and less qualified workers are moving in masses to Austria or southern Germany because of higher salaries and better working conditions. If we do not find an answer to this, northern Transdanubia will be in trouble in the very short term, despite its excellent potential for growth,” he said.
Navracsics noted that in the next 20 years, there will be a period when territorial disparities will temporarily increase, but he is confident that a dynamic process of catching up will then begin, and he considers it particularly important that Hungary should become one of the five most liveable countries in the European Union.
Via Index; Featured Image: Pixabay